After some delay - for which I apologise - I have an other update on this story with hopes you'll like it.

Anyway, please let me know what you think; ideas, do's and don't's, pointing out my errors...

One thing, though: I did my best to write this story in British English as it seemed to fit the Asgard boys better, IMHO.

English is not my mother tongue and I don't have a beta who can read this for me and correct my mistakes (or help me with inconsistencies), so if you find (m)any, please don't hesitate to tell me.

Without further ado, enjoy the read. :)

Chapter 7: He's Here

"He's here."

The tall man with the flowing hair the colour of golden wheat stood on the balcony overlooking the Rennandi river and the opposite embankment that was the northern part of the City of Asgard. The fingers splayed over the stone wall as he leaned on his hands, eyes vacantly staring in the distance, far beyond the houses…the distant mountains, even. Further than the Realm Eternal's boundaries. Into space...

"He's here."

Such were the words his friend, the Iron Man, Tony Stark, had sent him.

The short message had taken him by surprise. Of course, he wouldn't admit as much to Stark. Not to anyone, for that matter. And least of all to his father. The relationship between Odin and Loki…hadn't been good for quite some time. Let's say the fences needed mending. A lot of it. In fact, Thor wasn't too sure things could go well ever again for too much had happened. Worse, Thor had come to realise he had had a hand in the rift. Loki had been right all along. At least, when it came to Thor's behaviour. The Thunderer knew he'd been acting like an ignorant fool and he'd needed the past cataclysmic events on both Asgard and Midgard to make him see...acknowledge...how it had all gone south for Loki and that he, himself, had played, unwillingly, an important part in how his brother had felt. All these years, he had been so blind. Utterly unaware of those little signs; like the way Sif and the Warriors Three had a tendency to ignore Loki, resent him. Unobservant of how the people of Asgard seemed to look upon Loki as Thor's ever present shadow. Never believing their own father had always appeared to favour him over his brother. He had been the one who could never do wrong while his brother had to put up with the blame whenever anything went wrong.

The Asgard people cheered his fighting skills whereas in shrill contrast his brother's vastly superior magical prowess was frowned upon. Loki, the Master of Seidr, came a very close second to the Allfather, which made the other mages green with envy.

In short, Thor had been destined to be glorified and lauded a hero when Loki was to be snubbed, humiliated and distrusted.

And still...to him, Loki would always be his sibling even if it became harder to recall the young boy's carefree and timidly smiling face and quiet ways. Loki was truly becoming his shadow and nothing more. Thor was light and Loki was representing darkness...

He knew nobody would dare admit it to him but Loki was the smarter one. What Loki lacked in brawn, he made up plenty in brain. He might not have been warrior stock but he certainly didn't lack courage and he'd many times had pulled them out of danger when, to Thor's immeasurable relief, Loki's magic proved a more than welcome asset to be victorious in battle. After all, he'd been the one who had the presence of mind when Thor himself, as well as Sif and the Warriors Three, had been caught in the throes of battle madness.

Loki, full of mischief but still caring enough to undo the chaos of his own making when he'd got carried away again by his enthusiasm to have some fun at the expense of others.

Loki the Silvertongue, when it was still a joy to hear his eloquent and entertaining speeches.

He genuinely wanted that good-natured, albeit prone to pranks and tricks brother, from before their world fell apart, back.

Contrary to what others kept telling him, Thor needed his brother; wanted him by his side forever, given the chance. They had been so close in their younger years; sticking together like twins. Thor wanted those days back.

"We were raised together, we played together, we fought together. Do you remember none of that?"

"I remember a shadow, living in the shade of your greatness. I remember you tossing me into an abyss..."

Yes. He'd plunged his brother into a metaphorical abyss...and he hadn't been aware of it until that heart-rending moment when Loki, with those sorrowful eyes full of regret and defeat, had let go of Gungnir.

At that moment, time had stood still...

After that fateful moment, Thor was sure he'd lost his brother.

He had grieved.

Mother had grieved.

And...dared he hope that father had grieved, too? Maybe, in his own stoic way.

Thor lifted his gaze skyward. Oh what he would give to get his brother back. Lift him out of the abyss and out of the shadows.

Was it a utopia? Or could it still be achieved despite...everything?

Maybe this would be the chance he'd dreamt of.

"He's here."

Loki.

On the other hand, it wasn't a good sign if Loki had made an appearance. Not after what had happened. Not when half the universe wanted his hide, no matter his treatment by the best Aesir healers of the mind which hadn't only been rigorous to him but put an immense strain on those who knew him best; those who had longed to get the 'old' Loki back.

"He's here."

So his brother appeared to have shed his self-imposed cloak of invisibility and silence.

He was back. In New York, apparently. Though to what intent or purpose, Thor knew not.

The Thunderer couldn't help but wonder about what wasn't said. How was he? Was he all right? Was he in one of his many disguises? Still the trickster of old. And, most important of all, how was his mind frame? Had he relapsed into the brooding, evil and conniving God of Chaos and Discord? Was that why he showed himself? To Stark of all living beings? Or was he in need for help? But, it the latter were the case, wouldn't Stark say so?

"He's here."

Thor pushed himself back from the parapet – the same they had sat on when boys, swinging their legs - with a growl of frustration.

Too many questions to which he had no answers.

If his…brother… Yes, that was the one constant in Thor's life; Loki would always be his brother no matter what. Adoptive, but still his younger brother.

If his brother would've needed help, he'd have contacted Thor.

Another thought struck Thor as he turned to leave the balcony, rubbing his forehead pensively.

Bored! That must be it! Loki was bored.

He grimaced at that. It never was a good thing when the God of Mischief was bored. No, this wasn't going to go well.

His stride towards his chambers was spurred by a new resolve. He was going down to Midgard and seek his brother to see for himself.

In fact, he had wanted to go and find him before, however now the matter had become more pressing.

Glad to have a valid excuse to leave Asgard and his duties to the realm, he got ready to go to the restored Bifröst, feeling an excitement he hadn't felt in ages.

He was going to bring his brother back home!

-o0o-

"What do you mean, Stark?" Thor growled in vexation.

The billionaire with the well-trimmed goatee raised a glass between thumb and middle finger, his index jutting as if to make a point. The amber liquid sloshed dangerously close to the rim.

"Just like I said, Pointbreak; he's a kid."

Thor bored his blue gaze in the other's hazel one.

Tony Stark tilted his head this way and that. "I'm positive it was him: a real Kid Loki. And still the same show-off. Only thing he missed during his soliloquy was his mother's drapes…"

Thor, not understanding even half of what the Iron Man had said about his brother, raised a questioning eyebrow at the last part. What in Walhalla's had Loki to do with Frigga's drapes?

"You mean he was in the form of a child?"

Stark rolled his eyes while showing the palms of both hands "duh?". "What did I just tell you? Like I said: Kid Loki. Kid!"

The Thunderer crossed his arms pensively over his broad chest. Then, his eyes shone with understanding, but his expression subsequently darkened with disbelief when it finally dawned on him. Or so he thought.

He then furrowed his eyebrows, fixing the billionaire with a glare which said he was not amused. Not amused at all!

"Are you trying to tell me my brother has turned into an infant? Still wearing a napkin? And what do you mean by him doing a solo…soli…whatever it is you're saying?"

"A what?"

"You mentioned a solo Loki…or soli Loki?"

"A so… Hey, I said "soliloquy"! He was doing some Shakespeare act or other. Some monologue. You have heard of the English bard, right?"

Thor scratched his beard, finding it difficult to picture and infant reciting Shakespeare!

"And Loki, as a baby, was heard reciting Shakespeare?"

Tony face-palmed himself in exasperation at the ridiculousness of the situation. He would think twice, next time, before informing Thor whenever his brother was sighted.

"Well, you said something of mother's drapes… I assume you meant a swaddling klútr? The thing you place between a baby's legs or swaddle them into? I know my brother was a very smart boy, but not that smart he would be able to read, let alone reciting Shakespeare!"

Thor frowned. He didn't feel comfortable with the direction this conversation was going.

Tony guffawed at this image.

"Oh! Diapers! I never… Nah! Forget it… This will get us nowhere. I need a drink." Tony poured himself a good measure of Scotch and raised the bottle in offering to Thor. "You?"

"No, thank you. Now, you've seen my brother. Where is he?"

The Norse god looked impatiently around.

"Did I say somewhere along the line he was still here?"

"Stop beating about the bush, Iron Man."

"Alright, alright! No, he isn't here anymore. And, no, he wasn't in diapers; I guess he'sssssss…well… He's a teenage boy. That is, in his teens. An educated guess? I'd say he's 15-16. Same eyes. It's the eyes and his speech that gave him away. And he's tall – very tall for his age."

Thor was drinking the information. His brother might not look his usual self, but it was still his brother.

"He was with a bunch of other school kids. From England. They all conversed in this very posh English." Here, Tony was giving a funny and very exaggerated imitation.

"Go on," Thor urged him.

"Last night, Pepper and I went to a concert. A choir concert. Happened it was a New York school with a British guest choir! Guess who was singing in that choir?"

Tony sat back with a smug smile.

"My brother was singing?"

Where was the time Loki would sing! At this moment, he would've given anything to hear his brother sing once more. Sing again. Immediately, he felt an irrational jealousy take over. He was green with envy this man had seen and heard his younger brother sing, while he hadn't.

"Better yet; he sang a solo!"

"Are you sure it was Loki?"

This all sounded too good to be true. To perfect and not normal at all. Not when you were talking about Loki, the God of Mischief, the master Trickster…

"Oh, I didn't tell you what happened when I met him at the Park, did I? His friends actually called him by his name! Yup. They called him Loki! So there!"

"So, where is he now?" Thor asked, perching forward to sit at the edge of his chair.

"England would be the obvious choice. The group of English choristers took the early flight back home only this morning."

Thor sprang to his feet, unable to dawdle a second longer and anxious to meet his brother.

"Hey! Where are you going so fast, Pointbreak?"

"Going after him! What does it look like to you, Iron Man?"

"How are you going to find him, once you get there?"

"Don't worry. I'll find him. If he doesn't cloak himself with invisibility, then I'm bound to find him."

"As long as no one else finds him first," he thought, sobering, and he felt a tremor pass through his body remembering the host of enemies his brother had attracted along the years.

Nonetheless, he hadn't felt as excited in ages!